Heart of the Ocean
by Psycho Weasel
Summary: Matt has never felt like he belonged in his world of the ocean. Tai has never been one to disappoint others. When these two boys cross paths it could have only been an act of fate. But can they trust fate to keep them together despite the differences of their worlds? Or will they have to face betraying the people they care about by taking fate into their own hands? DISCONTINUED.
1. Chapter 1

**_NOTE: _**_Behold...the new story I have decided to work on. So once upon a time, I was watching "The Little Mermaid" with a few of my good friends...and then I got hit with a huge plot bunny. X3 Yeah, it's probably cliche and all that jazz, but my hopes is that I can take this classic story and retell it in a new way. ^_^ __This version of the story is based/inspired more off of Disney's Broadway version of the story instead of the film so it's bound to be slightly different anyways. Heh heh...ahem..._  


___Alright, I've rambled enough now. Enjoy the first chapter!  
_

**_WARNING: _**_This is bound to be a slash fic (yay for Taito!) and there will be some swearing as well. This story is very much AU (I mean seriously X3 ).  
_

**_DISCLAIMER: _**_Seriously people, do you think I'd be writing fanfiction if I owned these things? X3 I do not in anyway own Digimon; the characters belong to Toei._

* * *

**Chapter One**

"_My love for you will never end_

_Like the ocean so deep and blue_

_I shall care for you forever more_

_And promise to stand with you._

_But if we should ever part_

_Whether it be by land or sea_

_I will sing this song and call to you_

_In hopes, you'll answer me."_

Tai opened his eyes again and looked around. He had heard someone singing, he knew it. It was obviously a male singing the song, but they sang it with such a rich, soothing voice, that Tai couldn't help but _not _ignore it. It was a voice that the Gods _themselves_ would become envious over. Tai wanted to locate where the voice was coming from, maybe he would see someone singing out in the distance, but where ever he looked all he saw was ocean.

The brown haired young teenager was embarked on his family's ship called _The Victory. _He had wanted an escape from his home and so after gathering a small crew together, they mounted the ship and left on an "adventure." The tan skinned boy frowned when it was confirmed that no one was around and then closed his dark caramel eyes once again, shutting the image of blue water out.

It wasn't that he didn't _want_ to enjoy the ocean view; he just found it better to enjoy the voyage by simply feeling the ocean around him. The way the wind blew on to his face, the waves as they gently rocked the ship side to side, and the smell of salt water all around him. Yes, this experience surely surpassed simply looking at it all. Tai inhaled a deep breath of salt air and then gasped loudly as he felt someone push him over the railings slightly and then pull him back.

"Saved your life!" Tai opened his eyes and glared at his young cousin: Davis. The younger boy looked similar to Tai, but the differences were obvious. He had a more red tint to his brown hair and was about a foot or so shorter than the older brunette, since he was three years younger than he was. Davis grinned innocently at Tai, who gave the smaller boy a punch on the arm.

"Jerk," Tai growled. "You know I can't swim."

"Oh right," Davis rubbed his "injured" arm. "The great Tai Kamiya wanted a break from home so he decided to go sailing in the ocean…despite the fact that he _can't _swim." The younger brunette dodged another playful punch from the older boy. "Why did you want to come out here anyways?" The older boy scratched his chin as he tried to come up with an answer.

"I don't know," Tai finally shrugged and looked back at the ocean. "Even if I can't swim, I still like the look and feel of it all." Tai looked behind him and sighed. "Besides, it beats looking at Joe all day…" Davis chuckled as a blunette boy came stumbling over to them.

Joe Kido was a close friend to not only Tai, but the rest of the boy's family as well. Joe was a year older than Tai and so that made him more cautious about everything. Honestly, Tai didn't mind the blunette's company…but it could get tiresome at times. With Tai being an only child, Joe watched over him carefully, as an older brother would do with their younger brother. Sometimes however, Joe could get a little _too_ carried away with his overprotectiveness. And when that happened, he'd usually invite Davis over so that they could come up with mischief together.

Joe raced over to the two boys and then bent over the ship's railing to dispose of his sea sickness.

"Beautiful Joe," Davis made a face of disgust.

"Isn't this great Joe?" Tai asked, ignoring the up-chuck they had just witnessed. "Out in the open ocean…surrounded by nothing but water?"

"Oh yes…great…ugh," Joe moaned in misery. He looked up at Tai. "I don't understand why you had to come out _here _of all places…Your highness—"

"I'm not a prince here!" Tai snapped. "Out here, it's just Tai." Joe gave the prince…er…Tai, a confused look. Why shouldn't he address him with his proper title? After all, Tai Kamiya _was_ the prince of Ramcilia and current heir to the throne. But if that was what the prince wanted…

"Ok…Tai…" Joe straightened himself up. "I don't think running out here is going to solve anything."

"That's what you think," Tai sniffed. "I think it's solving a lot."

"How so?"

"I don't have to see or talk to my father."

"He only wants you to understand the responsibilities of ruling a kingdom before he passes away."

"Yeah," Davis sighed gloomily. "And by the looks of it, I don't think he's going to last that long. What would you give him? Two, three weeks?"

"Davis!" Joe gasped. "That's no way to talk about the king!"

"I'm just saying," the young boy lowered his head.

"I don't mind that…the whole king thing, because I know he's gotten really sick," Tai muttered sadly, watching some dolphins swim next to the ship. "It's…what he also wants me to do before he dies…"

"What?" the two other boys asked.

"He wants me to get married…" Then more quietly, Tai added, "To a girl…" The three boys stood in silence for a moment.

"You didn't tell him you were gay?" Davis whispered. Tai shook his head and the older blunette boy groaned.

"Tai you need to tell him sooner or later," Joe said as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "That way, he can figure out what to do."

"I already know what's going to happen," Tai shrugged. "I'm going to grow to be an old lonely king and then once I die, I'll hand over the kingdom to Davis' family."

"I feel so honored," Davis beamed.

"Couldn't you at least _try _to fall in love with a girl?" Joe asked in vain.

"It wouldn't feel right," Tai shook his head. "Besides, you remember what happened with Sarah…That was a nightmare…" The brunette thought back to the crazy obsessive blonde who wanted nothing more to control Tai…and his kingdom… "Anyways, if this wasn't supposed to happen, don't you think the Gods would have shown us a sign or something by now? They wouldn't let anything happen if it weren't a part of their plan."

"Amen my brother," Davis jokingly praised. "Leave it to Tai to be all spiritual and crap."

"He is the prince of Ramcilia," Joe muttered. "He has a duty to be the hope and strength of his kingdom…and do what is right when he needs to…" Joe looked like he wanted to say more, but he contained himself.

"Oi! Prince!" The boys looked up to see an older man waving at them from the helm of the ship.

"I'm not 'Prince' out here, Chris," Tai called back and waved. "It's Tai, remember?" The older man, Chris, saluted the young brunette. Tai was grateful for the distraction and quickly ran up to the man.

Chris Yelms was one of the most respected sailors on not only the ship, but the whole kingdom. The sailor was in his mid-fifties, with graying hair, hazel eyes and he was slightly plum. He had sailed all over the world and seen many battles and strange lands. On one of his voyages he had lost his left leg but it didn't stop him from being the brave sailor everyone admired. Although he was mighty during battles, Chris always treated his whole crew with kindness and respect, so it was no wonder that he would always be treated the same way.

"Sorry about that," Chris chuckled. "I had forgotten." He patted the young seventeen year old on his back and handed him a telescope. "Here, take a look at this." Tai looked through the object and positioned it to where Chris had pointed. He saw what looked to be a whale in the distance.

"Wow!" Tai exclaimed. "That's so cool to see a whale that close to us."

"A whale?" Davis asked once he joined the other two. "Where? I want to see it!"

"Just take a look in the mirror Davis," Tai stuck his tongue out. This time, it was Davis who punched Tai on the arm. The older boy chuckled and handed the telescope to his eager cousin. Joe slowly made his way to the group.

"Huh, looks like there's a storm up a head too," the blunette commented. Tai could feel his body tense up a little when the storm was mentioned. Thinking about either returning to shore or simply going off in a different path way however helped him to calm down.

"Ooh…King Triton must be angry," Chris frowned. The three teenagers looked at the older man.

"King Triton?" They echoed together.

"Aye," Chris nodded. "Have you boys never heard of King Triton?" They shook their heads. "Well, what about his sister?" Again, they shook their heads. Chris sighed. "You land lovers…Alright. Well, King Triton is the king of the entire ocean and he also happens to be a merman."

"Whoa!" The two brunettes gasped together.

"'Whoa' indeed," Chris chuckled. "King Triton he is a brave merman. He is kind to his subject and rules the kingdom with true wisdom. While the merpeople and ocean folk loved Triton, they feared his sister, Erika. That woman was power hungry, selfish, and terrified the subjects of the ocean."

"And she's a mermaid too, right?" Davis asked.

"…Actually, she looks more like an octopus or squid." They all stared at him. "Er…Long story…anyways! Before the past sea king died, he divided the ocean into two halves and gave each part to Triton and Erika. Erika however wasn't satisfied with just half of the ocean, she wanted the whole thing. Erika was so set on power that she is said to have destroyed her own sister-in-law: Triton's wife.

"Outraged, Triton banished his sister to the deepest, darkest part of the ocean and took over her half of the sea."

"That doesn't seem very fair," Tai frowned.

"Well, how would you feel if someone killed the only person you loved?" Chris raised an eyebrow. The prince opened his mouth, the closed it again. Chris gave him a "That's-what-I-thought" look and then slowly grinned. "You know…I actually _met _the queen of the ocean, before she died."

"No way!" Davis exclaimed in amazement.

"Alright, now that's just getting ridiculous," Joe sighed. "King Triton? Sure. His crazy sister Erika? Why not? But now you're saying you actually _met _a mermaid?"

"It's true I tell ya!" Chris grumbled. "It was about eleven or twelve years ago. It was night time and I had taken the responsibility of hoisting up the fishing net for the day. Right before my eyes, was a half fish, half woman caught in the net! Her name was Lorelle, if I remember correctly, and the poor girl was scared as all get out. She begged me to let her go, but I wanted to know more about her and her kind. She explained to me a bit about their kind, told me her name, that she was the wife of Triton and that she had children waiting for her back at home."

"Did you let her go?" Davis asked, mesmerized by the story.

"I did," Chris nodded. "I mean…she was the queen of the ocean! Imagine if King Triton found out that I had captured her and not let her go? Besides, I couldn't help but feel sorry for her…Once I released her, she jumped back into the water and thanked me…but probably not how you expect it. It was a rare and special thank you."

"How did she thank you?"

"She presented to me her son…her _only_ son. The heir to _all_ the ocean."

"Cool!" Davis yipped.

"Yep! Imagine, meeting the young prince who will one day rule the ocean. Settle every disagreement, put fourth new laws into action, controlling the ocean…"

"Sounds a lot like my situation," Tai muttered as he walked over to the railing and looked out to the deep blue water again. "Except for the controlling the ocean part."

"Aye, it does, doesn't it?" Chris chuckled.

"I don't believe it," Joe grumbled.

"What exactly don't you believe?" the older man challenged.

"Well…all of it!" Joe answered. "It just sounds like a bunch of sailor's nonsense."

"It's true I tell ya!" Chris frowned. The two soon got into discussing how possible/impossible it was to actually have merpeople living out in the ocean. Davis simply watched the two, listening to both sides intently, and Tai directed his attention to the ocean. He closed his eyes and inhaled the salty air once more. Despite the bickering going on, he felt at peace.

"_My love for you will never end_

_Like the ocean so deep and blue_

_I shall care for you forever more_

_And promise to stand with you."_

Tai's eyes snapped open when he heard the voice again. It was louder this time. Tai looked around wildly and then ran over to the other side of the ship.

"What is it Tai?" Joe asked.

"Did you hear that?" Tai asked, still searching for the voice.

"Hear what?"

"_But if we should ever part_

_Whether it be by land or sea_

_I will sing this song and call to you_

_In hopes, you'll answer me."_

"That!" The brunette pointed to the vast ocean. "That voice!" The others listened carefully.

"I don't hear anything," Davis said.

"You don't have water in your brain, do you?" Joe smiled teasingly.

"No! I…" Tai looked around and sighed when the only thing he saw was ocean. "I swear I heard someone singing…"

"Maybe you're hearing the merpeople sing," Chris suggested.

"…Maybe…" the brunette shrugged. They stayed silent for a moment or two. Tai wanted to hear the voice again, but it never came. He muttered to himself, "I think it might have come from up ahead…"

"Tai," Joe spoke up. "I think we've been at this for long enough. You need to go back home and…talk to your father." Chris sighed.

"As much as I hate to agree with Grumpy Gus—"

"Grumpy Gus?"

"—I think we should head back. Our supplies are limited and we've never traveled this far from port before with the _Victory_. She's not really built for extremely long distances." Tai looked at each of them, and then back out to the ocean. He didn't feel quite ready to leave yet…

"I'm still the captain of this ship…right?" Tai asked. They nodded. "Well then…screw the supplies! I say we keep on sailing!" Tai flashed a grin at them before he jumped up on the ropes and started climbing up the mass.

"Tai! We need to get back sooner or later," Davis protested as he followed his cousin.

"I know and we will," Tai called down to him. He stopped near the top of the rope and looked out. "But we'll do that _after _I find that voice I keep hearing!"

"What?" Joe, Chris and Davis all echoed together. Tai ignored them.

"Chris!" Tai shouted. "Order the men to continue westward!"

"Aye-aye Captain," Chris chuckled before barking orders to the rest of the crew. Joe opened his mouth to object the prince's decision, but soon, his sea sickness came back and he found himself puking over the railing instead.

"You're crazy, you know that?" Davis said to his cousin. Tai shrugged innocently and looked onward, quietly humming the familiar song to himself.

* * *

_Ramcilia...sounds greek...Ok! This story takes place in Greece (or somewhere close to it ^_^; )! And oh my gosh...I swear that song sounded so much better when I first made it up in my head. X3_

_Before I forget, I'd just like to give a little shout out to another fic that inspired me to actually get myself working on this story. It is called "Your Ocean, My Land" and it is written by X-HARU. Unfortunately, the story has not been updated in six years, but reading it gave me quite a bit of inspiration for this story (I would recommend reading it). Thanks X-HARU. :)  
_

_Alright, that's my little speech. Feel free to let me know what you think of the beginning so far. I apologize if there isn't really much going on...I just feel the need to introduce everyone first. ^_^; Ok...seriously, I'm done now. XD  
_


	2. Chapter 2

_**NOTE: **Thank you all for your reviews and comments! I really appreciate the input! :D Sorry for taking a while to update...You know those moments where you are like, "Hey look! I actually have time to write and junk now!" and then life comes around and is like, "lolz. Nope!" ...That's what happened. XP_

_Enough talk...enjoy this chapter!  
_

_**WARNING: **Swearing, possible OOCnes, future boyXboy  
_

_**DISCLAIMER: **I do not own the characters of Digimon. They all rightfully belong to Toei._

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Chapter Two

What Chris told the younger boys was absolutely true, and contrary to Joe's belief: there _were _merpeople out living in the ocean. They all lived in the kingdom known as Atlantis, where King Triton ruled. The location of Atlantis was unknown to humans and only a few sea creatures, living outside of the King Triton's boundaries, actually knew where it was. Usually, Atlantis was heavily protected and it was always hidden by a thick forest of coral reef. Only the best guards in the ocean were assigned to take on the task of watching over the area of Atlantis. It was difficult for any stranger to get into the heart of the city.

This particular day, however, was different than the others. It was a day where sea folk from all over the ocean were allowed to enter the kingdom, with special supervision of course, and be a part of this special day. Today was the celebration of when King Triton banished the wicked witch Erika to the depths of bellow and gained full control over the ocean once more. The merpeople were joyous as they celebrated the disappearance of the sea witch. The kingdom buzzed with excitement for the food that would be served, the friends they would see, and the entertainment that would be presented. No other entertainment presentation was awaited for the most than the concert that was put on every year by Triton's five children.

**oXoXoXoXo**

"Can you believe how great we sounded?" the second youngest giggled as she followed her sisters back stage.

"Kari, how can you be so happy when it turned out to be a complete disaster?" the eldest sighed irritably.

"Oh come on Sora," the second eldest rolled her eyes and started fixing her hair. "It's not like a school of sharks came swimming through the concert hall or something."

"Sora is right though Mimi," the third of the sisters spoke. "It was definitely not the best concert we've done."

"Exactly! Thank you Yolie!" Sora said, gesturing to the purple haired middle child. "Sure, maybe there were no sharks, but our opening number was horrible! We were missing our star singer!"

"Do you think he might have gotten in trouble?" Kari asked.

"He's going to be in trouble if he doesn't get his tail down here—"

"WHERE IS HE?" The four sisters jumped and turned to look at their angry father. They dipped their head in respect to the king. "Where is your brother?"

"We haven't seen him since this morning," Yolie muttered. "He swam off with his friend T.K. and told us he'd be back soon."

"I told him not to forget about the concert," Sora grumbled. "But knowing him, he probably did. I don't know where he swims off to all the time." King Triton swam back and forth, trying to calm his nerves.

"Oh Gods," he muttered quietly to himself. "Why did you burden me with such a son like him?" Triton lifted his head and looked back at his daughters. "When he comes back here, I want you to send him to me _immediately!_"

"Yes father," the sisters said in unison. King Triton swam away, still rather upset about his only son being missing.

**oXoXoXoXo**

Matt sighed happily as he stretched himself out on the rock he was lying on top of. He knew that it was probably a bad idea to be so exposed out in the open…but he couldn't help it. He loved the feel of the sun on his bare skin. It felt completely different than when he was sunning himself underneath the water. Matt turned over on his back and started humming a familiar tune, his mother's lullaby.

Suddenly, he let out a terrified gasp and shot up to a sitting position. He glared down at the younger merman, T.K., who had just splashed some water on him. T.K. was Matt's best friend, and also very similar looking to him. The young boy, who was three years younger than Matt, had dirty blonde hair and light blue eyes, which were now glaring up at Matt. T.K. slapped his tail against the water again, splashing Matt once more.

"Knock it off T.K.!" Matt snapped and then flicked some water with his own tail at him. T.K. ducked into the water and came back up.

"Matt, you said that this would only be for a moment," T.K. whined.

"It is just for a moment," Matt replied as he readjusted himself on the rock. "A moment can be for as long or as short as I please."

"Pfft. And all this time, I thought it was Mimi who was the royal brat of the family."

"I'm not as bad as my sisters," Matt flicked some more water at him.

"Oh really?" T.K. playfully raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah!" Matt flipped on to his belly so that he could better see T.K. before he began his rant. "I mean, Sora thinks she has the right to boss everyone around just because she's the oldest. And if you even mention the word 'politics' or anything like that, she'll start boring you with her never ending lectures about that stuff that no one even cares about.

"Then there's Mimi who's just too into fashion for her own good. I mean, she dyed her hair pink because Madame Aqua said it was the new 'craze' and everyone should do it. And every weekend she _insist _on taking me shopping with her.

"Yolie is really critical and is always tries to correct anything I or my sisters do wrong. She doesn't care if you don't want her opinion or not; if she's got something to say, you're going to hear it.

"And Kari…" Matt stopped and thought about the youngest sister. "Well…I guess she's not too bad. She's the one I can actually get along with because she doesn't force her opinion or likes on me…"

"And then you have Matt," T.K. added. "The youngest of Triton's children, and the only son; which means, he is the heir to the throne and all of the ocean. With his perfectly styled blonde hair and wild blue eyes, you'd be stupid not to be able to take notice of him when he occasionally abandons his royal duties to come up to the surface and gawk at humans." Matt slapped his tail hard against the surface of the water and smiled when some water entered T.K.'s opened mouth.

"Serves you right," Matt chuckled. T.K. glared at him and then also chuckled.

"Come on Matt," T.K. said. "You know how your dad feels about humans and being up in the surface."

"I know, but…I don't get why he's so against the humans," Matt shook his head. "I mean, I really don't think they're all that bad. They have so many interesting things about them that we can't even comprehend."

"Like what?"

"Well…like, since they have two legs, they have to put this sort of protection on their…um…feet, so that they can walk where ever they want. They also have these portable mirrors that they put out on their tables for when they want to eat."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Only, it's not like any mirror you or I have. It has a very small, thin handle and it's two sided. On one side, you're right side up, and on the next, you're upside down!"

"Whoa! But why would you want to have a mirror at a table when you should be eating?"

"I don't know…maybe it's to see how they look before and after the courses…But you see what I mean? They don't seem like a threat at all. They just seem like odd creatures who sometimes complicate their lives more than they should."

"Well they do sound like very silly creatures…You've been up here for long enough though. Stay any longer, and you'll fry up." Matt wished he could argue with the younger boy, but he had a very valid point. Since Matt was a merman, that meant that his body was built for moisture, not to withstand the drier human climate. Matt reluctantly slipped off the rock and back to the icy water. It took him a minute to get used to the temperature of the water once again.

"Sorry T.K.," Matt sighed. "I just can't help it…I love how the sun feels."

"Yeah I know," T.K. smiled. "But I just don't want the king of the ocean to chase after me with his royal army if I come back to the castle with a dried up prince in my arms." They both laughed. Matt swam around the rocks that were scattered around the surface and he started to sing a lullaby his mother would sing to him.

"_My love for you will never end_

_Like the ocean so deep and blue_

_I shall care for you forever more_

_And promise to stand with you."_

"Matt!" T.K. gasped. "What are you doing?" Matt didn't really pay attention to his friend, just continued singing.

"_But if we should ever part_

_Whether it be by land or sea_

_I will sing this song and call to you_

_In hopes, you'll answer me."_

Before Matt had a chance to finish off the last note, T.K. yanked the older boy down beneath the water.

"What was that for?" the prince asked irritably.

"You were singing!" T.K. said. "And your voice is loud enough to draw in humans on their ships!"

"Well forgive me for trying to keep my mother's memory alive," Matt snapped and yanked his hand away from T.K.'s. The younger blonde opened his mouth and was about to argue again, but then saw the slight hurt on his friend's face.

"…I'm sorry Matt," T.K. muttered. "I didn't mean to be so rude about it."

"It's ok T.K.," the prince sighed. "I understand why you did it." Matt turned away slightly and looked out into the vast emptiness of the ocean. "Sometimes…I can't help but wonder what it would have been like if she hadn't died so soon…" T.K. nodded. The blonde sighed again.

"_But if we should ever part_

_Whether it be by land or sea_

_I will sing this song and call to you_

_In hopes, you'll answer—_OH SHIT!" Matt clasped a hand over his mouth before he started swimming away frantically.

"What? The song doesn't go like that!" T.K. gasped as he followed a racing Matt. "And I should know, I've heard you sing that song enough times to have it memorized by—"

"The concert was _today!_" Matt cut the younger boy off, trying his best to decide which way was the quickest to Atlantis.

"WHAT? I thought you said it was tomorrow!"

"I thought it was too! Until I remembered that Sora had told me earlier to not forget that it was today!"

"Oh man, oh man…Your dad isn't going to be too happy about this."

"Ugh, don't remind me." The two blonde friends quickly swam as fast as they could, fearing the worse. Little did they know that the worse was merely watching from a distance.

* * *

_I do hope no one's brains exploded because of this chapter... That's right: Matt and TK are not brothers, nor are Kari and Tai siblings. Why? Because that's what the plot bunny told me to do! Blame him. :P_

_Oh and a little shout out to harathor...HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I hope this update makes up for the lack of Tai and Matt plushies out in Amazon. ^_^  
_

_Anywho, feel free to let me know what you think! Until next time!  
_


	3. Chapter 3

_**NOTE: ** __Time for an update! :D Yeah, this chapter is probably just another "introduce the characters" but you've got to know who you are dealing with my peeps! ;)_

_Thank you all to those of you who have read and reviewed this story._

_Oh! Also, my dear friend Kerukeru brought this up...Triton's children (Sora, Mimi, Yolei, Kari and Matt) have a one year difference in age for this story. If anyone can figure out how that is possible (besides the fact that this story is fiction anyways), then bless your soul and please let me know. X3  
_

_On ward to the story! Enjoy!  
_

_**WARNING: **Swearing is around this story, as is slash. *Lorax voice* "You have been warned!"  
_

_**DISCLAIMER: ** __I own the lullaby that Matt sings, Erika, Chris, and a couple of other things, but the actually Digimon characters do not at all belong to me._

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Chapter Three

Erika pursed her lips as she stood over her large magical shell and glared down at her former home. Here she was, banished in the darkest part of the ocean, where she only had strange frightening looking creatures to keep her company; and in the meantime, her younger brother ruled the whole ocean…_her _ocean.

Erika was the rightful heir to the kingdom; she was the firstborn child for heaven's sake! However, their family followed a ridiculous tradition that if a son was born into the family, no matter the birth order, he would inherit the kingdom of Atlantis and essentially the ocean. Out of sympathy to his sister, Triton asked their father to give half of the ocean to Erika to rule over. Though it was barely anything, she accepted it and supposed it was enough…for now.

"It's not fair," she huffed and swiped at the image in front of her. "Drift! Lagan!" Two large, dark eels came swimming towards the octopi woman.

"You called us your highness?" one of them, with a more red-ish tint, asked.

"Yes I did Lagan," Erika sighed and sat down on her chair. "I feel depressed."

"Oh, don't feel so sad my queen," the other, with a more green-ish tint, frowned.

"But how can I not feel so sad Drift?" she whined. "Here we are, rotting away in this hell forsaken part of the ocean, while my snotty brat brother gets the entire ocean?"

"But look on the bright side!" Drift slithered up to her. "Triton looks so _old _while you still look not a day older!"

"You're just saying that," Erika sniffed sadly.

"No, no! It's true!" Lagan shook his head. "You are still the most beautiful and most wicked queen ever!" Erika eyed the two eels suspiciously and then went to examine herself in a mirror. She stroked her silver hair, which was mid-back length, and twirled around to inspect herself fully. She supposed the eels were right…Her fair skin complimented her darker octopi lower half and she had not a wrinkle on her. She studied her violet eyes very carefully and soon allowed a smile to creep on to her lips.

"You really think so?" she asked hopefully. Her two pets nodded and she giggled in delight. "Oh, thank you my little pookies!" She reached out and hugged them both. "My dear little babies, you have always been so kind and dear to me! From when I was ruling the ocean, to even now while we are banished here." Erika let them go and swam over towards the opening of her grotto. "Do you boys remember when we were allowed to live up there with the others?"

"Yes," Drift nodded. "You were so cruel and wretched!"

"Well, I do try," Erika grinned and brushed her shoulders off.

"You did such a great job at making others miserable!" Lagan added.

"And your magic was the envy of the entire ocean!" Drift cried out.

"Oh stop! You're both making me blush!" the octopi woman chuckled. She twirled a strand of her silver hair and grinned at the memories. "But…I _was_ pretty bad, wasn't I?"

"Yes your wickedness," they both chimed.

"Ah, those were the good old days," Erika sighed. "Yes…the good old days. What I wouldn't give to get them back…"

"But you can get them back, remember?" Lagan spoke.

"Right you are my little Lagan," Erika grinned. "Right you are." Erika started pacing back and forth her grotto. "But the question is, how to make them _all _pay for our misery. Especially _King _Triton." The threesome was silent in thought for a long time.

"Poison?" Lagan offered.

"Ooh, sure!" Drift agreed. "It's slow, painful and so fun to watch!"

"Yes, if you are allowed into the kingdom at all," Erika sniffed. They continued plotting.

"What about blackmail?" Drift offered.

"My brother was not one to keep in touch," she rolled her eyes. "Or tell me much of anything." Before another idea could be offered, a loud splash came from the distance. "What the?" She swam out of the grotto, with her two eels following close behind, and inspected the ruckus. From the distance, she could make out two blonde merpeople. Erika watched intently and tried to listen to them. Suddenly, it became very clear who these two were….or at least _one_ of them.

"_But if we should ever part_

_Whether it be by land or sea."_

That song… She'd recognize that song from a mile away.

"What a lovely voice," Lagan grinned goofily at the sound. The grin on Erika's face grew wider and wider with each note. It was a boy singing, she was absolutely sure it was. And if that boy knew that song by heart…that could only mean one thing…

"_I will sing this song and call to you_

_In hopes, you'll answer—_OH SHIT!" The singing was cut off abruptly by the older blonde's crude language and he started to swim off. Soon, the younger one followed close behind him and then they both vanished from view.

"Of course," Erika nearly squealed in delight. She swam back down to her grotto and started throwing in ingredients for a potion into the magical shell. "Yes…Yes…Yes!"

"What are you planning?" Drift asked. Erika continued mumbling to herself while Drift and Lagan gave each other curious looks. "Your highness?"

"I know how to get us back on top!" Erika finally said. "And in the meantime, I will get revenge on my brother and conquer the whole ocean!"

"Really?" the two eels gasped in excitement.

"Yes!" Erika stared at each of her beloved pets. "But in order to make this work, I will be in need of your assistance."

"Whatever you wish for, we will do it!" Lagan spoke.

"It may be dangerous," Erika frowned.

"We're willing to take the risk!" Drift nodded.

"Really?" the silver haired woman smiled.

"Yes your highness!" the eels answered in unison.

"You two are the best henchmen a woman could ever ask for!" she squealed happily. Erika finished throwing in the final ingredients before scooping up the brew into a bowl and serving it to her eels. "Now, drink up my little pookies! I have a snooping job for you to do! With this potion, you two will not only be given disguises so that you can enter up there with no questions asked, but I will be able to see everything you boys see."

"Yes your wretchedness!" They echoed together. They eagerly drank the potion.

"What exactly are we to do?" Drift asked. Erika smirked and waved her hand over her magic shell. The image that revealed in the brew made the two eels gasp.

"No!" Lagan murmured.

"That is pure evil!" Drift said. They looked at each other and grinned.

"We love it!" they cheered.

"Good good!" Erika clapped her hands together. "Because, what better way than to lure King Triton into this plan, than to include the one person who resembles most like his beloved queen?" The sea witch started cackling out loud, soon joined by the two eels, as they stared down at the shell, which revealed a frantic blonde prince swimming back to his kingdom.

**oXoXoXoXo**

"Matt I can't believe you forgot the concert!"

"Where were you all this time?"

"I hit the high C Matt!"

"Father is going to be really disappointed in you for missing out." Matt tried to ignore his sisters' questions and comments as he solemnly swam towards King Triton's throne. Once he reached the doorway of the room, they all fell silent and stared at the king of the ocean.

The graying, middle aged merking sat on his throne, clutching his golden triton in his right hand. His eyebrows were furrowed and the corners of his mouth were pulled down into a deep frown.

"Come here Matt," King Triton growled. "I wish to speak to you alone." Matt gulped and turned to his sisters. They simply shrugged, before Sora gently pushed him into the room and closed the door. The young blonde slowly approached his father, his head hung low.

"Yes Father?" he muttered.

"Where were you during the concert?" King Triton fumed.

"I was…out," Matt said slowly, trying not to give too much away. "With T.K."

"I am very well aware that you were out! But what I want to know is what place was so much more important than here with the rest of your family?"

"I'm sorry Father. I just…forgot."

"You forgot?" King Triton boomed as he stood from his throne. "Matt, we have this _every year!_"

"I said I was sorry!" Matt snapped. "What more do you want from me?"

"I want you to stop acting like a child and more like an adult!"

"I'm still seventeen!"

"You'll be turning eighteen soon!"

"Well, I can act like a child until then!"

"You cannot! You must learn how to rule a kingdom!"

"Why can't Sora do it? She is the oldest and she likes all of that crap and—"

"Don't argue with me Matt!" Matt quickly shut his mouth. He knew that at this point he was pushing it. King Triton started pacing back and forth, trying to calm himself. After a moment, both mermen were calmed down.

"I'm sorry," Matt muttered. "I shouldn't have spoken in that way to you. I really do feel bad for missing the concert."

"I am sorry too my son," King Triton sighed and sat down on his throne once again. "Sometimes however, you just get so wrapped up in your own things that I wonder…" The king didn't finish his sentence. Instead, he stared at the blonde and smiled sadly. "You are so much like your mother…" Matt lowered his head and felt even worse. Out of all of Triton's children, Matt was the only one who came close to resembling their mother…and it seemed that it wasn't only because of his blonde hair and blue eyes.

"I'm sorry…" Matt muttered again.

"I just wish you could understand how important it is for you to stay here and learn the ways of the kingdom. I won't be around forever, and you must take my place."

"I know…but what about Sora? She is the oldest out of all of us, and she knows the way the kingdom works like the back of her hand."

"Yes, Sora does have a great knowledge for politics and such." Matt could see the soft smile on his father's lips and the sense of pride that he felt for Sora. Since the eldest had always been fascinated by the kingdom, she would always follow her father and would always be eager to learn about the kingdom. King Triton's smile soon faded and he slightly shook his head. "But it is by law that the first born son shall inherit the throne once the previous king has passed away."

"Right…And that's why Erika went crazy and tried to take over the—"

"Don't speak about her…especially not now."

"But wasn't she older than you? Isn't that why she was angry?" The sea king turned his head away and a heavy silence hung around them. It became obvious to the prince that that was _exactly_ the reason for the elder sister's betrayal. Matt saw the sadness crawl upon his father's face and he immediately felt horrible for bring it up.

"I'm sorry," Matt muttered.

"It's not your fault my son," he sighed in return. "It's simply the law." Matt slowly lowered his eyes.

"Father? What is the law for if a merperson say…I don't know…went up to a human ship?" King Triton gave his son a horrified look. "Or…just went to the surface?"

"Is that where you were?" King Triton growled. Matt played with his fingers.

"Well…"

"Matt! How many times have I told you that the surface world is dangerous?"

"Maybe like a thousand…"

"Then why do you insist on continually going up there?"

"I don't know…it's fascinating to me."

"Don't say things like that Matt!"

"I was just wonder the law against—"

"The surface world is a dangerous place and it's completely ruthless! If a human saw you, they'd kill you for sure!"

"But what if they didn't?"

"They would!"

"They don't seem so bad. They just—"

"Humans are horrible creatures and I don't ever want to hear you defending them again!"

"But Dad, what if—"

"Do you hear me Matt?"

"You didn't even answer my original question!"

"Never again!"

"I was just _asking!_ Gosh, you always freak out over the smallest things!" Matt turned and swam towards the door.

"Matt! Come back here!" his father called out. Matt threw the door open and saw his sisters scrambling away to make it seem like they weren't at all eavesdropping. The young prince rolled his eyes and ignored his father's shouts as he swam out of the throne and to his room.

'_Sorry Father,' _Matt thought to himself as he slammed the door shut. _'But I don't want to deal with this right now.' _Matt flopped himself down on his bed and glared up at the ceiling. A few minutes later, a soft knock came at his door.

"Go away!" he snapped. Kari opened the door slowly and smiled at him.

"Ow, you must be really pissed," she chuckled. Matt frowned in guilt, for yelling at his sister, as she closed the door and joined Matt.

"I'm sorry Kari," he sighed and sat up. "I just…Why does he have to make a huge deal out of everything?"

"He's our father," she shrugged. "It's his job to be over protective."

"Maybe over his daughters," Matt muttered. "But I'm his son."

"And the only heir to the throne," Kari brought up. Matt folded his arms against his chest and pouted like a small child.

"I hate being a prince," he growled. "You can't do anything."

"Would you rather live with the sea witch?"

"Would she let me go where ever the hell I wanted and not have a sea cow about it afterwards?"

"…I don't know…but she'd probably turn you into a sea cow first."

"…Touché." The two siblings giggled together. Kari's face then became more serious.

"We were all worried about you," she said.

"…I know," Matt muttered. "And I feel really bad for letting you all down at the concert. I must have messed you all up."

"Well, it did sound kind of off when the solo parts were filled in with silence." The blonde smiled slightly and then looked up at the ceiling.

"…Why can't he understand?" Matt sighed.

"Understand what?"

"Understand that…I really don't want to be a prince. I don't want the responsibility or the pressure. Hell, sometimes, I don't even want to be a merman." Kari frowned at her brother's confession, but continued listening. "I guess that's a reason why I like going up to the surface a lot…It's one of the only places where I feel like I belong."

"You belong with us," the brunette smiled sadly. Matt closed his eyes and sighed. "You're our brother."

"I know I am…" he said quietly. "But sometimes, I'm not so sure if I was born into the right world…" A soft knock came from the door. Matt looked up and Sora poking her head in the door.

"Oh, sorry," she blushed. "I thought he was by himself."

"It's ok, you can come in," Kari smiled. "I was about to leave soon anyways." Kari ruffled her younger brother's perfectly styled hair, and exited the room, closing the door behind her. Once it was only the eldest and the youngest left, silence fell heavily in the room.

"Mind if I sit?" the red head asked as she moved towards the bed.

"If you're going to lecture me or go on about the stupid politics in our kingdom, then yes, I do mind," Matt grumbled.

"I wasn't going to do any of that," Sora frowned. The blonde raised an eyebrow at her. "…well…I was going to mention the squid and octopus ink epidemic …but I guess it can wait." Matt let out an audible groan, to let his sister know that he was already annoyed. "Where were you during the concert?"

"Out with T.K.," Matt grumbled and started picking at his nails.

"I know that…but where?" she tried again. Matt glanced up at her.

"You really think I'm going to tell you?" he scoffed.

"I was hoping you would," Sora frowned.

"After you promised not to tell Father that I was getting bullied and then you did later on that night? Fat chance." Matt flipped over to his side and nuzzled his face against his pillow.

"Matt, that was almost ten years ago!" she groaned. "And besides, you're my baby brother. It's my duty to protect you."

"I guess since you can't have the crown when Father dies, you needed something else to do in your spare time."

"That's a bit harsh don't you think?"

"No, I don't think."

"Obviously."

"_Obviously,_" Matt mocked bitterly.

"Oh that's _real _mature Matt!" Sora huffed. Again, Matt mocked the older girl. "Cut it out Matt! The last time I checked, you weren't five anymore."

"And last time _I_ checked, you weren't mother!" Another heavy silence hung around them. "…I'm sorry."

"Whatever Matt," she grumbled and started making her way to the door again. She turned to her younger brother again before leaving the room. "One of these days Matt, you're going to have stop acting like a kid and learn to take on responsibilities like a man." She swam out and harshly closed the door behind her. Matt groaned and stared up at the ceiling again.

"I hate this," he grumbled to no one in particular. "Everyone expects me to grow up and be a king. Well I don't want to! I don't care about the squid and octopus thing going on, or the fact that the clown fish are running out of jobs or whatever else goes on!" He left his bed and swam over to the window. "I wish there was just some way I could escape it all…"

A dark shadow fell over Matt. The young prince looked around and saw that the shadow had suddenly escaped his room and was now outside. Matt looked out his window and saw that the shadow belonged to some strange object lingering near the surface of the water. It seemed too small to be a whale...and too big to be much of anything else. Matt glanced behind him quickly to make sure no one was coming in, before he opened the window and started following the strange object on the surface.

* * *

_And thus begins the story! ...kind of. X3_

_I must confess that I am actually currently in a bit of a hole with writing this story due to some writer's block in which I don't know how to get into certain events (*is currently working on chapter 5...no biggie*), but I'm sure it'll pass soon. I just need to go back and listen to "The Little Mermaid" soundtrack. ;) *cough*andgetsuperheroesoutofmyhead*cough*  
_

_Feel free to let me know what you think! See you at the next update!  
_


	4. Chapter 4

**_NOTE: _**_Hmm...not quite sure how I feel about all the changes fanfiction is going through... :\ Anyways...sorry for the REALLY late update! Life got a wee bit crazy, but I'm done with a big project that was taking up most of my summer. Now to move on to the next stress-or in life...school and finding a way to pay for it. -_-'  
_

_Thank you to all of those who have reviewed my story! I appreciate it! :D  
_

**_WARNING: _**_Swearing, slash, drowning...wait... X3  
_

**_DISCLAIMER: _**_People, let's be honest, if I owned Digimon and the characters, I would most likely NOT be writing fanfics. So no, I own nothing. :P_

* * *

Chapter Four

Matt inhaled the brisk night air that now surrounded him. As he looked around he took notice that the ocean seemed very calm, except for a few storm clouds which obviously meant that his father was still angry. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw what must have been the strange object that he saw underneath the water. It looked like a large rock. But, it was moving…rocks don't move. Matt watched the object for a moment and started to follow it. He swam after it and finally he recognized what it was.

A human ship!

The last time he had seen a ship like that was with his mother…and even then he couldn't remember much. He just remembered that his mother told him to wait behind some rocks, and so he did. Then, he remembers her leading him out in the open and talking to the ship. Matt thought this behavior was odd, and looked up to see what she was talking to. He never figured it out. But maybe this time…he could know! The blonde grinned excitedly and started swimming towards it to get closer.

He couldn't believe he was actually going to see a human ship up front and personal again! Maybe if he started talking to it, he could figure out what it was his mother talked to. Matt started to become more nervous as he started getting closer and closer. Soon, it was only a mere twenty feet away.

"H-Hello!" Matt said to the ship. "What is your name?" The ship didn't reply and simply moved on. "My name is Matt. I'm very excited to meet you." A low growl of thunder echoed in the sky, but besides that, nothing else was heard. The prince glared at the ship. "Well, aren't you going to tell me your name?" Nothing. "You don't have to be so rude you know." Matt sighed once he realized that the ship wasn't going to be speaking to him.

'_I guess I should probably just go back,'_ the prince pouted slightly at the idea. Just as he was about to dive down into the ocean again, he heard a loud yelp.

"Don't _DO _that!" a voice shouted angrily. Matt stared up at the ship curiously.

"Oh, so _now _you want to talk?" he scoffed at the large mass. It didn't reply. "Oh for the love of the Gods…" Matt searched around the ship to see if there was anything he could use to locate where the voice came from. He saw a ledge not too far up and decided that it would be his best option. Seeing however that there was no way to get up, the blonde dove down into the water and then swam up again, using all the muscle and power he could muster to jump high enough to reach the ledge.

It took him a few tries, but he finally managed to grab a hold of the edge. Matt grunted slightly as he pulled himself up on to the ledge and was happy to see that he fit on the small space provided. He let out a happy sigh and rested his head against the ship.

"Well, that sure took some effort," he chuckled. The blonde prince turned his head to one side and looked up. "I hope that you were completely worth—" Matt froze. A human had leaned over the railing of the ship. Matt pressed himself against the ship, making sure not to be discovered but also making sure that he could still see the human.

He always imagined humans to be completely ugly, stupid creatures who couldn't do much for themselves. At least, that is how his father would always portray them. Yet, here he was, staring right at a human…and thinking that it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

**oXoXoXoXo**

Tai stared out nervously at the dark clouds quickly coming upon them. After an unsuccessful journey to find the voice, Tai finally gave the orders to return to the kingdom. Unfortunately, a heavy storm was following their tail…and fast.

"Man, those storm clouds look really bad," the brunette muttered to no one in particular. Tai looked down at the dark water and swallowed. "I wonder if the waves will get really big…" Tai leaned over further. "Big enough to swallow the ship whole…" Suddenly, Tai felt someone push him hard against his back, making him let out a loud yelp. The same force that pushed him pulled him back and spun him around. Davis grinned mischievously at his cousin.

"Don't _DO _that!" Tai shouted loudly at his cousin. Although his shout was soon drowned out by a roar of thunder, it was clear that the rest of the crew heard it. Tai could feel his face flush and so he added more quietly, "…You scared the hell out of me…"

"I saved your life though," Davis shrugged and patted his cousin on the head.

"Oh go annoy Chris for a while," Tai playfully shoved the younger boy away. Davis saluted and ran off to do as he was told. The brunette sighed and looked out to the ocean again. The storm was getting very close now…

"Don't worry Tai. We'll be back before you know it." Tai glanced over at Joe who stood next to him. "And even if the storm does hit, I'll be sure to keep you safely in the captain's cabin."

"Thank you Joe," the brunette smiled. "That makes me feel better." Tai looked down at the dark water and sighed silently. Noticing that the blunette had not left, Tai looked back at him. "I'm guessing that setting my nerves at ease wasn't the only reason why you came over?"

"Well, that was the original motive," Joe took his glasses off and started cleaning them. "But since I'm here, I might as well talk to you about your issue with your father."

"Of course," the brunette grumbled.

"You're going to have to tell him sooner or later."

"Didn't we have this discussion earlier?"

"Yes, but—"

"Then you should already know that when I become king, I'll rule over the kingdom and once I'm really old, I'll hand it over to Davis and his family."

"It's not that simple though."

"Yes it is. I just have to make sure I have a good idea on how to run a kingdom and then I'll be set. You can help me too if you want."

"No Tai, it's not that. It's…." The prince waited for the older boy to finish, but he didn't say anything for a while. After looking from side to side, Joe sighed and looked solemnly at the brunette. "I overheard your father say that if you didn't pick a queen, he would pick one for you."

"What?" Tai's eyes widened.

"That's what I heard," Joe grumbled as he looked down at the ocean. "He said that he'd give you up to a week after your birthday, and then pick you a queen of his choosing…" Tai gripped the railing of the ship tightly in frustration. Of _course_ something like this would have happened. It was almost like the Gods were telling him that his acceptance of his sexuality was not ok with them at all.

…Was that what they were trying to say to the young prince? But how could he live any differently? He couldn't lie to everyone though, especially not to himself. If the Gods weren't pleased with his sexuality, well for once, Tai could care less.

"It's not gonna happen," Tai growled.

"What?" Joe blinked in confusion.

"I'm not marrying any girl just to please people," Tai glared out into the ocean. "Especially not one my father picks."

"You can't defy the king's wishes!" Joe gasped.

"Watch me," Tai huffed as he left his spot from the rail.

"But Tai—" Joe started to protest as he followed the prince.

"But nothing Joe," Tai cut off. "I'm not marrying someone I don't love. It doesn't make sense. And it also doesn't make sense that I should be lying to everyone."

"So find your own bride! Show your father that you do have someone you are willing to marry for the rest of your life."

"But I don't! He hasn't come yet."

"So you're going to wait around until it happens?"

"Yes! …No...Maybe…" Tai shook his head. "You're getting me all confused!"

"It took you this long to realize that?" Joe muttered under his breath. Perhaps the comment was meant for no one else's ears but the blunette's; but unfortunately, Tai did hear him.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tai narrowed his eyes slightly. The older boy panicked slightly when he saw the hostility on the prince's face.

"I…I just…um…" Joe mumbled unintelligently.

"…You're not happy about me being gay either?" Tai asked. Joe darted his eyes to the floor of the ship. From the lack of response he was getting, that clearly meant that the answer was yes. Tai felt his heart sink slightly. He had always looked up to Joe as an older brother and mentor. And now, seeing that he didn't approve of him… "Screw you."

"What?" Joe blinked. Dark brown eyes stared coldly into charcoal ones.

"Screw you and what you think," Tai growled. "Screw what my father thinks. Screw what the kingdom thinks." Tai turned out towards the ocean and grinned wickedly. "In fact…" The brunette raced over to the edge of the ship and took a deep breath in. "_SCREW YOU GODS!_ I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU THINK!"

"Tai!" Joe yipped and raced over to the prince. "What are you doing?" Tai ignored the older boy and climbed up on to the thick railing of the ship, using nearby ropes to support him.

"I don't care if you don't like that I'm gay!" Tai continued to shout at the Gods. "I don't care if you think it's unnatural or wrong! This is how I am and if you don't like it, then SCREW YOU!"

"Tai stop!" Joe barked as he tugged at the brunette's arm. "You need to get down right now or else you'll fall into the ocean!"

"Ooh, I'm so scared," Tai huffed sarcastically, but he got down anyways.

"What's wrong with you?" Joe snapped.

"I'm perfectly fine the way I am," Tai growled back.

"You just insulted the Gods and you think you're perfectly fine? You could have angered them!"

"What are they going to do about it?" Tai smirked smugly. "Strike me down with lighting?"

_**CRACK-A-BOOM!**_

Tai jumped a foot into the air when the large crack of thunder rang out in the sky. Looking up into the sky, he noticed heavy storm clouds swirling over their heads. Another crack of thunder rang out before a heavy down pour of rain fell upon the crew of the _Victory._

"We're caught in a storm!" Chris called out to the crew. "The Gods must be angry!" Tai felt his stomach jump up to his throat. Did he really anger the Gods? …what a stupid question, of _course _he did! But didn't the Gods always believe in being honest and true to oneself? How could they be angry for Tai following that belief?

Tai's thoughts were interrupted when he felt someone grab his arm and quickly led him away from the edge of the ship. The rocking of the ship from the large waves made moving around the ship nearly impossible, but somehow they made it to their destination. He was roughly thrown into a small room which he quickly recognized as the captain's cabin. The brunette prince turned back and saw a frantic looking Joe staring back at him.

"Stay here!" he ordered. His tone wasn't angry or demanding. It rang with sheer concern for the young prince. Tai nodded numbly before Joe quickly closed the door shut and left him alone.

What was he doing inside here? He shouldn't be locked up in a small room like a coward! He was the captain for heaven's sake! His crew needed him! Tai quickly raced over to the door and was ready to open it. Suddenly, he felt the ship jerk sharply to one side and then sea water came in through the crack of the door. Feeling the moisture on his feet, Tai quickly jumped away from the door and retreated back to a table at the far end of the room.

The thought of the dark black ocean filled the brunette's mind. Imagining the feeling of sinking deep into a bottomless pit of nothing and knowing there was no way he would be able to get out horrified the prince. He was the captain alright…but what good is a captain if he can't save himself in a storm like this? Tai stared down at the cold water that was slowly tricking into the room.

From the safety of the captain's cabin, Tai could still hear the rest of the crew members shouting over the horrible storm. The brunette clenched his teeth in frustration as he heard some men shout out warning for another wave coming. Tai glanced back at the table and saw his pair of goggles sitting at the edge. He knew that at that point, he had two choices:

Stay in the cabin like a coward and allow his crew to suffer.

Or go out and be what a true captain should be like.

Taking a deep breath to gather his courage, Tai grabbed his goggles, placed them securely around his eyes and ran out into the storm.

Rain fell down and hit the boy's tan skin like thousands of needles. The wind blew roughly from alternating directions which would sway the ship from side to side. Lightning and thunder were crashing and booming throughout the sky just like a composed symphony. Large dark waves crashed against the _Victory _and threatened to swallow Tai whole.

"What are you doing out here boy?" Tai turned towards the direction of the ship's helm and saw Chris struggling to keep control. "Get back in the cabin!"

"No!" Tai barked and raced up to help Chris gain control. "I won't sit there and do absolutely nothing when I know you all need my help!" Tai grunted as he and the older man tried to hold the wheel steady.

"We'll be fine Tai!" Chris shouted over the loud thunder. "Get back to safety!"

"I won't leave you all to die!"

"_We_ know how to swim! _You_ don't!"

"I'm not leaving!"

"Dammit Tai!"

"I am your captain!" A large wave crashed against the ship and sprayed sea water on the whole crew. Tai gripped onto the helm tightly as the ship proceeded to jerk side to side. A firm hand grabbed hold onto the young boy's shoulder causing him to look up.

"Tai, I admire your determination and courage," he shouted over the thunder and wind. "But you have to get back to safety! You are the prince of Ramcilia and we need you to stay alive!"

"What about the rest of you?" Tai asked and braced himself as another wave hit the ship.

"We are all willing to die for Ramcilia," Chris simply smiled. "And it's prince." Tai stared in amazement at the older man's calmness of this storm and the fact that they had a risk of dying. "Now, get back to safety! I'll order the men to follow afterwards once all of the sails are secured and tied up!" Before Tai could come up with a reason to allow him to stay on deck, there was a loud snap heard which caused all the men to turn and look. The main sail's rope that held it secure had broken and released the white fabric.

"The sail Chris!" a sailor cried out.

"Davis!" Chris shouted at the young mahogany haired boy standing near the sail. "Grab some rope and secure it again!"

"Yes sir!" Davis cried out as he grabbed two long ropes and started climbing up to refasten the sails. Tai watched as his young cousin struggled to climb up the mass. He would slip constantly and just barely make it to catch is balance again. Once he finally made it to the sail, he still risked the chance of falling because of the rough waves and slickness the rain created.

'_The rain!' _Tai gasped to himself. Suddenly, it occurred to Tai that _because_ of the rain, most of the sailors couldn't see much of anything.

But Tai had his goggles on…

"TAI! NO!" Chris shouted as Tai grabbed two long ropes of his own and raced over to the main mass where Davis was. He gripped on to the ropes tightly and watched out for each foot hole he could use to hoist himself up. The higher he climbed up, the higher the chances of falling into the ocean became.

"What are you doing here Tai?" Davis hollered at the older boy once he made it to the sail.

"You need help you idiot!" Tai called back and started working on tying the sails.

"Go back! You can't swim!" Davis yelled.

"The faster you shut up the faster we can get this finished and get down!" Tai snapped at his cousin. "Now help me finish tying this up!" The younger boy blinked in astonishment for a moment, but then nodded and went back to work. Together, the two cousins tied the loose sail back to its secure position. Waves continually rammed against the _Victory _and with each blow, Tai's determination to get back to safety, with Davis, grew.

"That's it!" Davis shouted once he finished knotting a rope. "That's the last one!"

"Great! Let's go!" Tai barked out in relief. The two boys scrambled down the mass and let out a sigh of relief when they both reached the solid wood floor of the ship. Tai allowed the younger boy to go ahead of him before following the retreat back to the captain's quarters. Their dance with death seemed almost too easy to get out of.

"Here comes a big wave!" a sailor shrieked out. Tai looked to where the sailor's voice echoed out, and lo and behold, a large monstrous wave was heading towards the ship. Tai froze to the spot as he watched the wave rise higher and higher into the thundering sky. "BRACE YOURSELVES!" Before Tai could even _think _about finding something to protect him, the wave collided against the _Victory _and swallowed any items that were not tied down. Including Tai.

The brunette's body smacked hard against the cold water and, from the pressure of the waves, sank quickly into the ocean water. Tai thrashed against the black water in hopes that somehow he'd find the surface again. After a few painful minutes without breathing, Tai's head broke through the water's surface. He coughed up salt water and desperately tried to remain afloat.

"TA-A-A-AI!" a voice wailed out into the raging storm.

"H-He-e-ey!" Tai shouted weakly. Another wave crashed against Tai. Before he was sucked into the waters again, he heard the faint cry of Chris' voice.

"MAN OVER BOARD!"

Tai kicked frantically to try and find the surface again,but it seemed like the more he tried, the deeper he sank. How could the Gods allow this to happen to him! They knew he couldn't swim. They must be punishing him. It was the only explanation. They were punishing him because he wouldn't marry a woman. Because he disregarded their powers. Because he was gay.

Once Tai pinpointed the reason the Gods must have been punishing him for, he slowly started to give up fighting. His arms and legs were growing tired from their vain efforts for air. His lungs felt like they were on fire and his eyes stung horribly from the salt in the water. Finally, Tai allowed his body to go completely limp. As he felt himself sink deeper and deeper, Tai's mind started to play tricks on him.

He saw his familiar hometown and imagined that he was back at home. Tai could hear his mother's voice and could feel her warm, gentle touch. Then he saw the Gods all surrounding him; laughing and jeering at the idea that the young prince would soon join them. Tai's last mind trick was the most bizzare however…for he could have sworn that a half man, half fish with an angelic glow was swimming towards him. The strange creature reached out towards Tai, as though to help. Tai remembered weakly raising his own hand to accept the creature's help before darkness overtook his vision.

* * *

_You know...can't swim/afraid of water Tai has always been a headcannon of mine...not sure why. ^_^;_

_Here is the chapter! Next one will probably have more Tai and Matt action...or at least interaction... X3 Oh! And to those of you who are in a mood for mystery and fluffy Taito-ness, I order you all to go read Amirastarr's story "Trouble Sings Backup"! It is crazy good IMHO!  
_

_That's my "product placement" of the day (don't know what else to call it). See ya'll at the next update! And feel free to let me know what you thought of this chapter! :)  
_


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